What to do.

Tuesday, May 14

Bologna Colorado plays The Yeti Café at 8 pm.

TELL! is MT Space's coffeehouse open-mic style event offering the community an artistic platform to share their works in a casual setting. Join them for the next TELL! on Tuesday, May 14 at 7:30 pm at First United Church (16 William St W, Waterloo).

Join OK2BeMe for an in-person youth group open-mic night at Kitchener Public Library from 6 to 7:30 pm.

Centre in the Square has Queen: It’s a Kinda Magic at 8 pm.

Wednesday, May 15

Green Light Arts is celebrating its 10th anniversary with a production of Late Company at the Conrad Centre May 15–26. Written by Jordan Tannahill and directed by Kwaku Okyere, Late Company explores the complexities of human relationships and the challenges of finding peace balanced with the need for retribution. 

TWB Brewing has Much More Music Trivia Night at 7 pm.

Rusty Nail Comedy has Jason Rouse live at the Lancaster Smokehouse at 7:30 pm.

Join Art Shine on Wednesday, May 15 from 6 to 8 pm at City Hall for the 2024 Young@rt Show Exhibit. Young@rt is a celebration of talented young artists in Kitchener that showcases their work in visual arts. Some of these featured artists, from around Waterloo Region, have been exposed to art programming through Arts4All, a non-profit arm of Artshine.

The Walper has Paint & Prosecco: Paint a Flower Pot at 6:30 pm.

Thursday, May 16

The 13x Intercounty Baseball League champions Kitchener Panthers kick off the baseball season with their home opener on Thursday, May 16, against the visiting Hamilton Cardinals.

The University of Waterloo Art Gallery has an artist opening reception for UW Fine Arts MFA Thesis Two: Ashley Beerdat and Charlie Star from 5 to 8 pm.

The Underdog Dance Corp. x CreateWaterloo are bringing Salsa in the Square back starting on May 16 and running every Thursday through the end of August. Beginner lessons at 7 with music and dancing from 7:30 to 11.

BeccaHosts has 2010s Music Bingo at The Rabbid Fox at 8 pm.

Did you know that just 5% of skilled trades professionals in Canada are women? What are the stories of women in skilled trades? Join the Laurier Centre for Women in Science for the exciting launch of Building Equitable Trades, its photo-research exhibit showcasing equity in skilled trades on May 16 at 5:30 pm.

Kitchener Public Library is hosting an artist opening reception for born + built = art by Margarita Kuznetsova at 7 pm.

Friday, May 17

Your KW Titans are in the Basketball Super League finals against the London Lightning. Game 1 is Friday, May 17 at the Aud. Use the code TITANUP to get 2-for-1 tickets thanks to Stuff To Do With Your Kids in Kitchener!

The Lord of the Tacos Food Pop-up is back at TWB Brewing from 4 to 8 pm, with euchre on from 6 to 9 pm.

David Green headlines Rusty Nail Comedy at the Crazy Canuck DTK at 7:30 pm.

Saturday, May 18

Vintage Fest is the nostalgia-filled festival you didn’t know you needed this May long weekend. A collaboration between the St. Jacobs Farmers’ Market and KW Famous, Vintage Fest is a celebration of all things retro and features a diverse array of vendors, live music, delicious food, and interactive workshops. Located at Market Road Antiques (845 Weber St N, St. Jacobs), the event runs Saturday May 18th - Monday May 20th from 10am-6pm each day. 

Spend Saturday learning the art of street photography with photographer Rob Skeoch and the Kitchener-Waterloo Art Gallery. He’ll discuss how to create compelling compositions, make use of existing light and work with human models before heading downtown kitchener with cameras in hand! Bring a smart phone or digital camera and good walking shoes. 10:30 to 1:30 pm.

Crunch Fitness x Goodness Me! Natural Food Market in Hespeler have a free yoga event from 9:30 to 10:30 am.

Spectrum Waterloo Region has its Pride Pickleball Fundraising Tournament and Player Clinic at RIM Park from 8:30 to 4:30 pm.

Come out and join the Friends of Waterloo Park and the Pollinator Working Group in a fun celebration of bees on Saturday, May 18 from 10 to noon. At this event guests can make paper flowers, bee masks, participate in a flower scavenger hunt and learn more about native pollinators. Activities will take place in the vicinity of the Young parking lot on the east side of Waterloo Park.

Rusty Nail Comedy has Ava Val at the The Crazy Canuck Kitchener or Andrew Barr at Morty’s Pub — both shows start at 7:30 pm.

Pinch Cabaret #30 brings you a variety show like no other! Drag, poetry, puppets, clown, music, and more at Button Factory Arts starting at 8 pm.

No Funeral presents Picknumber3mylord! and very special guests at the Yeti.

Short Finger Brewing Co. has a Long Weekend Band Crawl pre-show from 5 pm-8 pm with live music from Blue Freezie and Fat Scheid and The Merry Melody. Plus beer release Ol' Shorty Lager for the LWBC with Pink Lemonade.

Sunday, May 19

Fatscheid x BrownishProblems present The Long Weekend Band Crawl. They have sixteen eclectic bands across four venues in Uptown Waterloo—Jane Bond, Revive Karaoke, Prohibition Warehouse, and Room 47.

What to read.

Farm Fresh in Waterloo Region (Andrew Coppolino, Explore Waterloo)

Prepare for Three Days of Thrill at the 2024 Afrovibes Festival (Jamila Kyari, Explore Waterloo)

Big changes loom as planning authority is shifted from the Region of Waterloo to local municipalities (Terry Pender, The Record)